By Gabriella Ceraso
Over 1000 tons of crude oil spilled into a natural paradise of precious biodiversity. It caused damage to the economy, the environment and society in Mauritius island, where most of the population lives on fishing and tourism, and wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few.
This is the picture of what remains of the Indian Ocean island just over a month after the incident that saw the Japanese tanker MV Wakashio, with 3,800 tons of fuel and 200 tons of diesel on board, run aground in Pointe d'Esny, a protected area near the Blue Bay marine park. In the wake of this disaster, which required the intervention of specialists from various parts of the world, the Cardinal Maurice Piat, the Bishop of the Mauritian capital of Port-Louis, urged everyone to “reawaken,” animated by a "good ecological conscience".
His call was echoed during the Sunday Angelus when Pope Francis made an appeal for the island, which, with a series of initiatives involving young people in particular, is preparing to mark the long Season of Creation from September 1 to October 4, in response to the Pope's call to engage in prayer and action in defense of our common home.
In an interview, Cardinal Piat spoke to Gabriella Ceraso of Vatican News about the educational and social activities being carried out by the Church to raise awareness about care for the environment.